Lacing-hook for women&#39;s shoes or the like.



No. 709,534. I Patented Sept. 23, i902. N. H. CLARK.

LAGING HOOK FOR WDMENS SHOES OR THE LIKE.

(Application filed Feb. 12, 1902.)

(No Model.)

WITNESSES: 'INVENTOR. 04 1644/4;

ATTORNEY.

NITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

NEIIEMIAH H. CLARK, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

LACING-HOOK FOR WOMENS SHOES OR THE LIKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 709,534, dated September 23, 1902.

Application filed February 12, 1902. Serial No. 93,801. (No model.)

To cal/Z whom it may concern/,-

Be it known that I, 'NEHEMIAH II. CLARK, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Lacing-Hooks for Womens Shoes or the Like, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in lacing-hooks for womens shoes and the like, the object of my invention being to provide an improved form of lacing-hook which shall be particularly adapted for use with womens shoes.

Heretofore the lacing-hook commonly used in the upper portion of mens shoes has been found to be inapplicable for womens shoes on account of the hook portion thereof catching and tearing the skirt of the wearer. Lacing-hooks therefore are not commonly used or indeed not used at all for womens shoes, notwithstanding their convenience in saving time and labor in lacing the shoe.

The object of my invention is to provide a new form of lacing-hook which can be applied to womens shoes without danger of catching or tearing the garment of the wearer.

My invention therefore resides in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts for the above ends hereinafter fully specified, and particularly pointed out. in the claim.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a shoe furnished with my improved lacing-hooks. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of the edge of the upper, showing one of said lacing-hooks in position thereon. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a right-side hook detached. Fig. 4 is a similar view of a left-side hook.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents a shoe, and 2 the upper thereof. At the margins of said upper at the upper portion thereof are secured my improved lacing-hooks 3. Each hook comprises an eye portion 4, by which it is riveted or clamped in the mar-gin of the upper, and a hook portion extending from said eye portion. For this purpose the eye 4: is formed with a flange 10, which is adapted to rest snugly against the margin of the upper, and said flange has an extension .the margin of the upper.

5 in its own plane directed toward the edge of the upper, said extension being gradually reduced in width. Said extension is then bent upward or substantially parallel with the edge of then pper,but still in the same plane namely, that of the flange 10to form a hook 6, the outer edge of said hook 6 being preferably just within the line of stitching '7 of Finally it is again bent in the same plane as that of the flange in a direction away from the edge of the upper to form a short tooth 8 at the end of the hook.

The portion 0 of the hook is substantially of the width of an ordinary flat shoe-lace, while the tooth S of the hook extends a distance substantially equal to the thickness of such a shoe-lace. Therefore when the lace is passed around the hook there is substantially no projection of the tooth 8 beyond the lace. In operation after the shoe-lace 9 has been passed through the eyes 11 in the lower portion of the upper it is then passed inside or underneath the hook 6 and then around the edge of the same next to the eye portion thereof and over the upper surface of the hook 6 to the opposite edge of the upper. Here it is in like manner passed first below the hook 6, then around the edge of the same, and then over the hook across the shoe to the opposite edge of the upper. Each half of the lace is passed around the hooks in the same manner, the two halves crossing each other until the last pair of hooks is. reached, when the laces are tied together in the usual manner.

It will be seen that on account of the hooks pointing upward it is impossible for the points thereof to catch the skirt of the wearer, and, moreover, the hook portions are all protected from contact with the skirt by means of the shoe-lace passing over said hooks. Notwithstanding that the hooks point upward the laces cannot slip off the same on account of the inwardly-projecting teeth at the end of the hooks.

It will be seen that the hooks for each shoe are made right and left side, those for the right side of the shoe being slightly different in shape from those on the left to correspond with the position which they are to occupy.

I do not restrict this invention to its use with shoes, as my improved hook may also be used with advantage in ladies corsets, &c.

I claim- A lacing-hook for shoes comprising an eye portion arranged to be clamped in the shoeupper, said eye portion having a flange, said flange having a straight extension therefrom of uniform thickness therewith in the same plane toward the edge of the upper, said exand then bent outwardly at a sharp angle also in the plane of the flange for a distance equal to the thickness of the lace to form a tooth, the whole hook thus formed being of uniform thickness with the flange, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

N. H. CLARK.

Witnesses:

FRANCIS M. WRIGHT, B. GORFINKEL 

